Glossary of Screenwriting Terms

Answer

This glossary contains brief definitions for screenwriting and film production terms. Some but not all of these terms are found in Final Draft as SmartType choices or macros. It is not and was not intended to be exhaustive.

ANGLE ON

Used to emphasize a specific object in a shot to indicate that a different camera angle is to be made of a previous shot.

BACK TO / BACK TO SCENE

The camera reverts to its original shot position from another.

BACKGROUND (b.g.)

Any action or object(s) which is secondary to the main action and which appears far away to the main action, and which serves as a backdrop for that action. Usually abbreviated in lowercase letters with periods after each letter.

BEAT

In a screenplay, this term is used to indicate a pause in a character's speech or action. Also refers to actions or incidents within scenes.

CLOSE SHOT

Camera shot that includes only the head and shoulders of a character. Always typed in capital letters.

CLOSEUP (C.U.)

Camera shot that closely emphasizes (isolates) a detail in a person, animal or object. Always typed in capital letters and is usually abbreviated.

CUT / CUT TO

Instantaneous transition (change) from a scene (or a shot, or another person) to another. Always typed in capital letters.

DOLLY IN / DOLLY OUT

Camera movement towards or away from a subject, involving physical movement of the camera. Always typed in capital letters.

EXT.

Denotes a shot taken out of doors.

EXTREME CLOSEUP (E.C.U.)

Camera shot that is extremely close to a subject, used to emphasize some particular detail. Usually typed out in full in capital letters.

EXTREME LONG SHOT

Camera shot usually taken from a long distance away from the subject. Always typed out in full in capital letters.

FADE IN / FADE OUT

Smooth, gradual transition from complete blackness to a scene (fade in); gradual transition from a scene to complete blackness (fade out). Always typed out in full in capital letters.

FOREGROUND (f.g.)

The area of the scene (objects or action) which is closest to the camera. Usually abbreviated in lowercase letters with periods after each letter.

FREEZE FRAME

Camera direction (which is really an optical printing, or other, effect) where a single frame is repeated over time to give the illusion that all action has stopped.

I/E (INT./EXT.)

Refers to shots taken in both an interior and an exterior location. For example, a police chase where we start inside a car and the camera moves outside the window when the character leans out to shoot a gun.

INSERT

A shot within a scene which calls attention to a specific piece of information, usually an inanimate object.

INT.

Denotes a shot taken indoors.

ISOLATE

Tight focus on an object or person.

JUMP CUT

An exaggerated acceleration of natural action achieved by removing from a scene footage that provides continuity of action, camera position or time. For example, a shot of man starting frame left and walking right who, in the blink of an eye, is next seen almost at frame right would be a jumpcut. He appears to have "jumped" to the right edge.

LIGHTS UP

Transition used in Stage format, denoting the beginning and discovery of a scene by the illumination of lights onto a particular area of the stage.

LONG SHOT

Camera shot that is taken at a considerable distance from the subject, usually containing a large number of background objects. Always spelled out in capital letters.

MAGIC

Shorthand for "Magic Hour," the short period of time around sunset.

MATCH CUT

An edit in which physical elements or actions in the first shot greatly resemble actions or physical elements in the next shot. One classic example of this is from Hitchock's North by Northwest in which a shot of Cary Grant pulling Eva Marie Saint up off Mount Rushmore turns into a matching shot in which he pulls her up into a bunk bed. Another is the match cut from the shower drain to Janet Leigh's eye in Psycho.

MEDIUM SHOT (MED. SHOT)

Camera shot often used to describe a shot of character approximately from the waist up.

MONTAGE

Scene heading which indicates a rapid succession of shots.

MOVING / MOVING SHOT

Camera shot which follows whatever is being filmed.

NARRATION

Off-screen commentary, which is heard over the action. Also referred to as a voice over.

OFFSCREEN (O.S.)

Indicates that the character speaking is not visible in the frame. Always abbreviated in all capital letters and enclosed in parentheses.

PAN

Camera shot (from the word panorama) where the camera moves gradually from right to left or left to right, without stopping; to slowly move to another subject or setting without cutting the action.

POINT OF VIEW (P.O.V.)

Camera position that views a scene from the viewpoint of a particular character. Always abbreviated in capital letters with periods after each letter.

SUPER (SUPERIMPOSE)

The effect of showing one image over another. Always typed in capital letters.

TWO-SHOT

Camera shot of two people, usually from the waist up.

VOICE OVER (V.O.)

A Character Extension in which a character's voice is heard over a scene, as in narration, a tape-recorded voice, or a voice heard over the phone. Always abbreviated in capital letters with periods after each letter and enclosed in parentheses next to the Character Name, capitalized and spelled out in the script.

WIDE SHOT

See Long Shot.

WIPE

A wide variety of patterned transitions in which images seem to move (or push) other images off the screen.

ZOOM IN / ZOOM OUT

A quick transition from a long shot to a close shot or the reverse, usually achieved by manipulating the camera's lens.

The Top Screenwriting Terms for Novice Screenwriters

Knowledge is power and it’s always good to know your trade terms. Below are the top screenwriting terms and their general definitions.

In regards to the more technical format terms, remember that they should be used only when necessary. Screenwriters should always avoid directing the camera within the script. Sometimes you’ll need to be CLOSE ON something important in the script, or a sequence may require you to utilize CONTINUOUS within the scene heading. However, in the end, always use anything beyond location, scene heading, and dialogue sparingly.

Action

The scene description, character movement, and sounds as described in a screenplay.

Beat

Can be used in the parenthetical or action to indicate a pause in the character’s dialogue or movement.

Character

All CAPS the first time you meet them in the Action. A person on the screen at any moment.

CLOSE ON/INSERT

When you want to draw a reader’s eyes or imagination to a particular object on the screen like a text message, a sled named rosebud, or a scar.

CONTINUOUS

Sometimes, instead of DAY or NIGHT at the end of a SLUGLINE/Location Description, you’ll see CONTINUOUS. Continuous refers to action that moves from one location to another without any interruptions in time – like a high speed chase through a mall with different stores.

CUT TO:

Ends some scenes to provoke a reaction – you can cut to a joke, or to the opposite of what a character recently stated.

Dialogue

What a character says in the script. “Thank you sir, may I have another?”

DISSOLVE TO:

A transition mostly used in older films. Stylistically shows one image dissolving into another.

ESTABLISHING SHOT:

A shot from a distance telling us where we are — New York City? The Dust Bowl? The Congo?

EXT.

Exterior. This scene takes place out of doors. This is mostly for a Producer to help figure out the cost of the movie.

FADE TO:

One of the more common transitions. You FADE IN: on the left and FADE OUT: on the right of the page. You can also FADE TO: on the left — usually used for scenes that transition in longer lengths of time.

INT.

Interior. Producers will use this to tell what sets need to be made.

Intercutting or INTERCUT BETWEEN:

Used to show different scenes happening at the same time. Like a boy eavesdropping on his parents, a phone call in two different places, or the murder of all the mob bosses in town during a baptism.

INTO FRAME/INTO VIEW:

When a character enters during a scene and you want to highlight that entrance.

JUMP CUT TO:

A cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. This type of edit gives the effect of jumping forwards in time.

MATCH CUT TO:

A transition between scenes where one thing becomes another like jumping into a pool that matches to the same character diving into bed.

Montage:

A numbered sequence in a story that shows one or several characters completing a series of actions. Like Rocky’s training sequences.

O.S. or O.C.

Off Screen or Off Camera. Maybe a character is yelling to another one or throwing something — it describes anything not taking place on the screen.

Parenthetical

An emotion or action put before the dialogue and under the character’s name to let the actor know how they should say the line.

POV

Point of view. This became popular with found footage movies but generally refers to the first person advantage as seen in movies like Halloween.

Scene

After a slugline a scene describes what happens in a particular place at a particular time.

Shooting Script

This is the truly final draft used on set by the production people, actors, and director to make the movie from the screenplay.

Slug Line

Denotes a new scene in the screenplay.

SMASH CUT TO:

An especially sharp transition. This style of cut is usually used to convey destruction or quick emotional changes.

Spec Script/Screenplay

A screenplay not commissioned by a studio or producer. It is the idea of the writer only.

SUPER, SUPER TITLE, or TITLE

Refers to words on the screen like the scroll in Star Wars or the little titles telling you in what city or time period the script takes place.

TIGHT ON

A close-up of a person or thing. Basically, like the space has been squeezed out of the area between camera and subject.

Transition

Descriptive term for how one scene ‘transitions’ to another scene. Used appropriately, these can be used to convey shifts in character development and emotion

V.O.

Voice Over. Like in The Shawshank Redemption, Sunset Blvd., even the beginning of War Of The Worlds – it denotes dialogue only the audience can hear.

A

Action

The scene description, character movement, and sounds as described in a screenplay.
For example: The sounds of TYPING rise above all the rest as MAX sits at his computer writing his essay. He stops to sigh. Looks at what he's written. Reaches over to the mouse. Highlights it all. And erases it.

AERIAL SHOT

Use only when necessary. This suggests a shot be taken from a plane or helicopter (not a crane). For example, if a scene takes place on a tall building, you may want to have an aerial shot of the floor the action takes place on.

ANGLE ON

A type of shot. This usually occurs in scenes taking place in large settings.
For example: if you're at a playground and little Billy is playing in the grass while his sister Jenny is playing on the structure. To get from a detail shot of Billy playing to Jenny playing you'd use "ANGLE ON STRUCTURE" to suggest a new shot featuring Jenny. You're still in the same location, but the director knows to point the camera a different direction.

Note: this is often implied by simple scene description. Use ANGLE ON with good purpose.

B

Beat

Many scripts will use the parenthetical "(beat)" to interrupt a line of dialog. A "beat" suggests the actor should pause a moment, in silence, before continuing the scene. "Beats" are often interchangeable with ellipses "..."

b.g. (background)

Used to describe anything occuring in a rear plane of action (the background as opposed to the main action or attention is focused in the foreground). Always use this term in lower case initials or written in full ("background"). For example: two people talk as Bill and Ted fight in the b.g.

C

Character

In a screenplay, the name appears in all caps the first time a character is introduced in the "Action." The character's name can then be written normally, in the action, the rest of the script.
For Example: The limo pulls up to the curb. DAISY, an elderly woman sits in the car as MORGAN, the driver, steps out and opens the door for her. Daisy is dressed in evening-wear, ready for an Opera.

Character's names always appear in all CAPS when speaking. For proper margins, see the Format page.
For Example:

DAISY
You've been a darling, Morgan. Here's twenty dollars.

CLOSE ON

See also INSERT and Shot.

CLOSE ON is a shot description that strongly suggests a close-up on some object, action, or person (an expressive body part such as the face, or a fist).

May also be seen as CLOSEUP or CLOSE SHOT

CLOSER ANGLE

We move in for a new angle nearer to the subject. This is more of an editing term, but can be mentioned in the screenplay when necessary.

CONTINUOUS

Sometimes, instead of DAY or NIGHT at the end of a SLUGLINE/Location Description, you'll see CONTINUOUS. Basically, continuous refers to action that moves from one location to another without any interruptions in time. For example, in an action movie, the hero may run from the airport terminal into a parking garage. The sequence may include cuts, but the audience would perceive the action as a continuous sequence of events from the terminal to the lobby to the street to the garage to the second floor to a car etc. CONTINUOUS is generally optional in writing and cn be dropped altogether. For Example...

INT. AIRPORT LOBBY - DAY

             

JANET looks over her shoulder.  The MEN IN BLACK are still after her,

toppling innocent passersby and sending luggage flying across the

linoleum floor.  Janet faces forward again and nearly runs smack into

a nun.  She apologizes wordlessly, glances back one last time before

pushing through the glass doors.

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

Janet stumbles to the curb, stopping short of the honking traffic

-- Los Angeles drivers.  As a bus flies by, blasting her with wind, she

steps out into traffic. A car SWERVES to avoid her!  She GASPS, looks

back.  The men in black are there.

FLASH

Janet gets shot in the back by the men in black.

BACK TO SCENE

She shakes off the thought and hops up onto the curb opposite the

airport.  She enters the parking garage.

INT. PARKING GARAGE - CONTINUOUS

BANG!  A shot RICOCHETS into the garage.  Janet SHRIEKS, her steps

faltering momentarily, but she recovers.

EXT. STREET

The men in black pocket their guns and enter the parking structure.

INT. PARKING GARAGE

They glance around.  No one else is in sight.  The men nod to each other

and draw their guns.  FOOTSTEPS in the distance.  One of the men points

at the stairs.

SECOND STORY

Janet, breathing heavily, makes her way to her car...

As you can see, I used CONTINUOUS for some of the sluglines (EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS) and dropped it for others (INT. PARKING GARAGE). And it all represents no time passing between changes in location.

CRAWL

This is a term used for superimposed titles or text intended to move across on screen.

CROSS-CUT:

Transition whereby the action cuts between two action scenes to suggest that the action is happening at the same time.

CROSSFADE:

This is like a "Fade to black then Fade to next scene." In other words, as one scene fades out, a moment of black interrupts before the next scene fades in. It is not to be confused with DISSOLVE, since CROSSFADE always involves a black or blank screen. (Note: I'm not sure if this term is still in common use)

CUT TO:

The most simple and common transition. Since this transition is implied by a change of scene, it may be used sparingly to help intensify character changes and emotional shifts. The transition describes a change of scene over the course of one frame.

D

Dialog

Very simply, this is what people are supposed to say according to the script. For formatting instructions, see the Format page.

Director

The person who visualizes the movie based on the script, creates shots, suggests how the actors should portray their characters, and helps to edit the final cut. Basically, the person in charge of putting converting a script into a movie.

DISSOLVE TO:

A common transition. As one scene fades out, the next scene fades into place. This type of transition is generally used to convey some passage of time and is very commonly used in montages such as seen in Bugsy.

Dolly

A mechanism on which a camera can be moved around a scene or location. Simple dollies involve a tripod on wheels. Dolly shots are moving shots.

E

ECU (EXTREME CLOSE UP)

Means the camera is placed very close to the subject or action. Generally, this term would be left out of a screenplay and left to the director to decide. Use only when necessary.

ESTABLISHING SHOT:

A shot, usually from a distance, that shows us where we are. A shot that suggests location. Often used at the beginning of a film to suggest where the story takes place. For example, if our story takes place in New York, we might use a shot of the Manhattan skyline as an establishing shot.

EXT.

Exterior. This scene takes place out of doors. This is mostly for producers to figure out the probable cost of a film project.

EXTREME CLOSE UP (ECU)

Means the camera is placed very close to the subject or action. Generally, this term would be left out of a screenplay and left to the director to decide. Use only when necessary.

EXTREME LONG SHOT (XLS):

Means the camera is placed a very long distance from the subject or action. Generally, this term would be left out of a screenplay and left to the director to decide. Use only when necessary.

F

FADE TO:

See also DISSOLVE TO:

This is commonly used as a DISSOLVE to a COLOR. Commonly, you'll see this as:

FADE TO:

BLACK

FADE IN:

NEXT SCENE

This usually suggests it's not the end of the movie, but it is the end of a major movement in the film. The "Next Scene" is often days, months, or years after the previous scenes. Sometimes titles will appear in the blackness to declare a passage of time. But this transition is often a sign of a major shift in time or emotional status for the main characters. It may also be used to suggest a character has been knocked out or killed.

FAVOR ON

A particular character or action is highlighted or "favored" in a shot. The focus is basically centered on someone or something in particular. Use only when necessary.

Feature Film

In the olden days of cinema, people watched a series of short films. Then, as films became longer, they would watch some short films and one long film. The long film became the main attraction, hence the term feature film. Today, feature films are generally defined as any film at least one hour long that people pay to see.

Final Draft (1)

As in all writing, this refers to the writers last rewrite of a script. Often the script will be changed or rearranged again by the director.

Final Draft (2)

Very rarely, a script will appear as a Final Draft document. This means only people with a screenplay formatting word processor known as Final Draft or the appropriate Final Draft viewer can view the document appropriately. The Final Draft Viewer is available as a free download. For those of you interested in screenwriting, Final Draft is one of many excellent professional screenwriting tools and can be obtained in many software stores or from Amazon.com.

FLASH CUT: (FLASH)

A transition where the screen flashes to white before entering the next scene, often used to transition into dream or fantasy sequences.

FLASHBACK:

A transition denoting a sequence that happened in the past. This can be followed by BACK TO PRESENT DAY or PRESENT DAY as the time of day at the end of the proceeding slugline instead of just DAY.

FREEZE FRAME:

The picture stops moving, becoming a still photograph, and holds for a period of time.

I

INSERT

When a writer pictures a certain close-up at a certain moment in the film, he or she may use an insert shot. This describes a shot of some important detail in a scene that must be given the camera's full attention for a moment. Inserts are mainly used in reference to objects, a clock, or actions, putting a key in a car's ignition.
For example: if there's a clock in the room. I, as the writer, might have reason for the audience to get a good glimpse of the clock. I would use an insert shot to suggest the director get a closer shot of the clock at a particular point in the scene.

Note: often; writing important objects in CAPS will convey their importance in the scene and give the director more freedom and a greater feeling of importance. Use inserts only when truly important.

INT.

Interior. This scene takes place indoors. This is mostly for producers to figure out the probable cost of a film project.

Intercutting

Some scripts may use the term INTERCUT BETWEEN. At this point, two scenes will be shown a few moments each, back and forth. For example, if Laura is stuck in her flaming house and the fire department in on the way, a screenplay may call for intercutting between the flames closing in on Laura and the fire fighters riding across town to save her.

Note: this is a style that can be written around with standard scene breaks. It's more to prepare the reader for the upcoming slug line bonanza.

INTO FRAME:

see also: INTO VIEW:

The audience can only see so much through the window of a movie screen. Use this term to suggest something or someone comes into the picture while the camera stays put. It's like a character or object coming from off stage in the theater. For example: Forrest Gump sits on the bench.

OLD WOMAN INTO FRAME. She sits next to him.

INTO VIEW:

see also: INTO FRAME:

The audience can only see so much through the window of a movie screen. Use this term to suggest something or someone comes into the picture while the camera pulls back (pans, etc) to reveal more of the scene.

Iris Out

see also wipe.

Also written as: IRIS FADE OUT or IRIS FADE IN. Used at the end of Star Wars scripts, this term refers to a wipe from the center of the frame out in all directions. It's as if the iris of a human eye were opening for dimly lit situations to take us into the next scene or the ending credits as is the case with Star Wars.

J

JUMP CUT TO:

A transition. Imagine setting a camera down to film a person. You record him for five minutes. But as it turns out, you have only a one minute time limit on your project. You have no special editing tools, just a couple of VCR's. But you realize that most of the important stuff is said in a few short moments. If you cut out the unimportant parts and edit together the parts you want based on a single camera angle, you will have what are called jump cuts. Transitions from one moment to the next within a scene that appear jarring because they break the direct flow of filmic time and space. This transition is usually used to show a very brief ellipsis of time. A good example of Jump Cuts can be seen in the movie Elizabeth when the queen practices her speech. The jump cuts make us disoriented and nervous along with the queen, giving us the tension and humor of the situation as if it were an out-take reel. Bad examples of Jump Cuts would be in B-movies like Mothra where they don't have the money to get scenes from various angles, so they cut from one important moment to the next from the same angle.

L

LAP DISSOLVE:

See also DISSOLVE: A transition between scenes that is achieved by fading out one shot while the next one grows clearer.

M

MATCH CUT TO:

A transition often used to compare two completely unrelated objects. It's film's version of metaphor. This involves cutting from one object of certain color, shape, and/or movement, to another object of similar color, shape, and/or movement. For example, a circular saw to a child's merry-go-round. A commonly studied example of match cutting comes from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The classic cut comes towards the beginning of the film. After the apes have used a bone as a weapon for gathering food, an ape throws the bone into the air. As it falls, we match cut to a space ship carrying nuclear warheads. Both the bone and the ship are of similar shape and color, and both happen to be moving towards the bottom of the screen. The cut relates all of technology to the development of weaponry as it cuts out all of human history.

MATCH DISSOLVE TO:

See also MATCH CUT TO:, DISSOLVE TO:

This contains similar qualities to the MATCH CUT. A match dissolve involves two objects of similar color, shape, and/or movement in transition from one scene to the next.
For example: if Scene A is following (tracking) an arrow whizzing through the forest, I might match dissolve to a tracking shot, in Scene B of a bullet whizzing through the inner city.

Microsoft Word Document

A computer term referring to the digital format a script may be stored in. These files are in a word processor files and often require Microsoft Word 6.0 or higher to read. Microsoft Word comes with many PC's or can be obtained with Microsoft Office 97, 98, and 2000.

Montage

In film, a series of images showing a theme, a contradiction, or the passage of time. This film style became common in Russia in the early years of cinema. Russians were the first to truly use editing to tell a story. Some early examples of montage include City Symphony's and Man With a Movie Camera. Modern day examples of montages can be seen in Kramer vs. Kramer and Bugsy.

MOS

Mit Out Sound (Original German) Moment of Silence (Made up English memory device). I've never seen this anywhere before, but maybe it has been used before, so, now you'll know should you ever run into it.

O

O.S. or O.C.

Off-screen or Off-camera. This is the abbreviation sometimes seen next to the CHARACTER'S name before certain bits of dialog. Basically, it means the writer specifically wants the voice to come from somewhere unseen.

P

Pan

Camera movement involving the camera turning on a stationary axis. Imagine standing in one spot on a cliff in Hawaii. You want to absorb the view so you, without moving your body or feet, turn your head from the left to the right. This is the same effect as a pan.

See Also: Swish Pan

Parenthetical

If an actor should deliver his or her lines in a particular way, a screenplay will contain a description in parentheses to illustrate the point. Parentheticals should be used only in cases where a line of dialog should be read in some way contrary to logic. If used too often, actor's and director's egos get hurt, and things get messy.
For Example:

JULIE
(calmly)
I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.

PDF

This is a computer term referring to Adobe's cross-platform portable document format. This file is created with Adobe Acrobat and can only be read by the Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download the Reader for free, click here.

POV

Point of View. The camera replaces the eyes (sometimes the ears) of a character, monster, machine, surveillance camera, etc. As a result, we get to see the world through the sensory devices of some creature. This can be used to bring out the personal aspects of a scene, or it can be used to build horror and suspense. An example of horror and suspense in POV can be scene in the opening shot of Halloween.

PRELAP or PRE-LAP

The dialogue from the incoming scene precedes the cut, and you hear the beginning of the dialogue in the outgoing scene.

JULIE (PRELAP)
We will work in the garden tomorrow.

INT. NEWSROOM - DAY                                   

NEWSCASTER
Rain in the forcast all day tomorrow

If is a sound:

MARK
Take cover!

PRELAP: GUN FIRE ERUPTS                                  

EXT. BATTLEFIELD - DAY                                    

(*Thanks Hugh)

PUSH IN:

The camera physically moves towards a subject.

R

REVERSE ANGLE

Often used to reveal things for comic or dramatic effect. Could be described as a counter POV shot. Basically, the script suggests the camera come around 180 degrees to get a shot from the "other side" of a scene. For example, in the Something About Maryscript, Tucker is playing a joke on Mary in her office in one scene that the writers didn't want to reveal right away. They use a REVERSE ANGLE to show that he's got two tongue depressors in his upper lip to represent teeth. This reverse angle is used for comic effect.

ROLL

This is a term used for superimposed titles or text intended to move vertically on screen. For example, the text at the beginning of Star Wars movies.

S

SAME

Sometimes, instead of DAY or NIGHT at the end of a SLUGLINE/Location Description, you'll see SAME. Basically, same refers to action that occurs in the same location, but not necessarily without any interruptions in time.

Scene

An event that takes place entirely in one location or time. If we go outside from inside, it's a new scene. If we cut to five minutes later, it's a new scene. If both, it's a new scene. Scenes can range from one shot to infinity and are distinguished by slug lines.

Screenplay/Script

A written work by screenwriters for a film, video game, or television program. A fplay written for the screen.

Shooting Script

This is the truly final draft used on set by the production people, actors, and director to make the movie from the screenplay.

Shot

One image. If there's a cut, you've changed shots. Shots can range from split seconds, like in Terminator 2, to several minutes, such as in Secrets and Lies or the opening sequence of Halloween. Shots are generally chosen by the director although the writer can use capital letters to suggest where the camera should be. When a writer absolutely must have a certain shot at a certain moment in a film, he has a few options each described in detail elsewhere in this list: INSERT, ANGLE ON, and CLOSE ON.

For notes regarding how to format shot types, check the Format page.

Slug Line

The text in all CAPS at the beginning of a scene that briefly describes the location and time of day.
For example: INT. DAVE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Note: sometimes sluglines are abbreviated to something as simple as "LATER" or "BEDROOM."

SMASH CUT TO:

An especially sharp transition. This style of cut is usually used to convey destruction or quick emotional changes.
For example: If I were writing a horror movie but wanted to lighten the gore at the beginning, I might have the first victim trip and fall. The killer enters the forest clearing, taking a moment to savor this death. The victim shakes her head, as if begging for the killer to change his mind. But no, he closes in, a black cloaked arm raising the knife into the air. The knife catches the moonlight for just a moment before it races downwards.

SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. WOODLAND HIGH SCHOOL COURTYARD - DAY

It's a bright and beautiful morning and kids wander the courtyard on their way to class or to meet friends. And the students discuss the end of this example.

The sudden shift from a dark forest to a bright schoolyard on the first stab would convey the distress of the murder without showing it. For another example of a smash cut, see the transition to L.A. in Barton Fink.

Note: this transition is often a director's choice. As a writer, use this sparingly if at all. Many script readers find this term unprofessional.

Spec Script/Screenplay

You won't see this term anywhere else on this site. If a writer finishes his own screenplay outside the studio system (it isn't an assignment) then sends it to the studios for consideration, it is a spec script.

SPLIT SCREEN SHOT:

The space of the frame is split into two, three, or more frames each with their own subject. Usually the events shown in each section of the split screen are simultaneous. But Split screen can also be used to show flashbacks or other events. For example, two people are talking on the phone. They're in different locations, but you wish to show the reactions of both simultaneously. Or, watch Run, Lola, Run to see another use of split screen.

Steadicam

A camera built to remain stable while being moved, usually by human hands. Occasionally, seen in scripts to suggest a handheld shot be used in a scene.

STOCK SHOT:

Footage of events in history, from other films, etc. Basically, anything that's already filmed and you intend to be edited into the movie. For example, the Austin Powers movies use stock footage for comic effect. Some old B films use stock footage to keep their budgets low.

SUPER:

Abbreviation for superimpose. The superimposition of one thing over another in the same shot. Sometimes TITLES are superimposed over scenes. Or a face can be superimposed over a stream-of-consciousness montage shot. It's up to you!

Swish Pan

A quick snap of the camera from one object to another. This high speed movement causes the image to go completely blurry. Imagine yourself in the center of a merry-go-round that's moving really really fast. Aside from making you totally dizzy, the world becomes a blur, swished out in the movement, like a giant and constant swish pan. Cuts are often hidden in swish pans. Or they can be used to disorient or shock the audience. For a good example of Swish Pan, watch certain old episodes of The Twilight Zone.

T

Teleplay

A play for television.

TIGHT ON

A close-up of a person or thing. Basically, like the space has been squeezed out of the area between camera and subject. Not in common use. Use only when necessary.

TIME CUT

When you want to cut to later in a scene, you have the option of writing TIME CUT as the transition. For example, if two people walk into a restaurant and their conversation is important at first then veers off into topics not important to your story, then you might want to time cut from the drinks to the main course and then again to paying the check.

Tracking Shot (Track, Tracking)

A tracking shot involves a camera following a person or an object. As long as the camera isn't locked down in place by a tripod, for example, and is following (tracking) a subject, then it's a tracking shot. For good examples of tracking shots, watch the one take episode of The X-Files or most any episode of ER. Star Wars Episode One has tracking shots galore during the pod race. And I'm sure most films have some form of tracking shot or another.

Trailer

A theatrical advertisement for an upcoming film attraction. In the past, the advertisements for upcoming attractions were usually played after the end of the movie. Hence, the term 'trailers'. However, as credits reels grew in lenth over the years, audiences would often leave before watching the advertisements for the next attractions, so the "trailers" were showen before the atrraction and became "previews". NOw, the term 'trailer' has come to mean a preview of an upcoming attraction and is still in common use.

Transition

Descriptive term for how one scene 'transitions' to another scene. Used appropriately, these can be used to convey shifts in character development and emotion. In other words, a CUT TO: is not required at every scene change. Some major transitions include CUT TO:, DISSOLVE TO:, MATCH CUT TO:, JUMP CUT TO:, SMASH CUT TO:, WIPE TO:, and FADE TO:. Each term has it's own entry in this list of terms. Occasionally a writer will make up his own transition. In these cases, the transition is usually self-defined (such as BRIGHT WHITE FLASH TO: suggests whiteness will fill the screen for a brief moment as we pass into the next scene). For formatting info on transitions, see the Format page.

V

V.O.

Voice Over. This is the abbreviation sometimes seen next to the CHARACTER'S name before certain bits of dialog. This means the character voices that dialog but his or her moving lips are not present in the scene. Voice over is generally used for narration, such as in the beginning of The Mummy. Or, as Austin Powers would say, a character's inner monolog. The inner thought processes of the character said out loud such that only the audience will hear it. An general example of Voice Over can be seen (heard, actually) in Election or in the Sixth Season Finale of The X-Files.

W

WIPE TO:

A transition in which one scene "wipes away" for the next. Imagine Scene A is water and Scene B is the substance underneath. A wipe would look like a squeegee pulling Scene A off of Scene B. These usually suggest a passage of time from one scene to the next. The most common and obvious example of wipes is in the Star Wars franchise. You can also watch The Mummy for more examples.

X

XLS (EXTREME LONG SHOT):

Means the camera is placed a very long distance from the subject or action. Generally, this term would be left out of a screenplay and left to the director to decide. Use only when necessary.

Z

ZOOM:

The image seems to close in on a person or object making the person or object appear larger (or smaller) on screen. Technically, the lens mechanically changes from wide angle to telephoto or vice versa. Notice and recognize the difference between a zoom and a push in (camera moves closer to subject). Use zoom only when necessary. For an example of zoom, see Boogie Nights.

Script Writing Terminology

The best way to learn the terminology  for script writing is to read a lot of scripts so you become more familiar with it.  Scripts are available on the internet, just do a Google search and you’ll be able to find as many as you want.  Here is a quick primer of basic terminology used in scripts.

Script Writing Terminology for transitions:

Cuts – instant change from one scene to the next, “Cut to…”

Dissolves – two scenes overlap during a transition from one to the other

Lap-dissolves –  (same as dissolve)

Fade-in – a two to three second transition from black and silent to the video

Fade-out – a two to three second transition to black and silent

Fade-in and fade-out transitions are often used when there is a division in the story and also to begin and end the story.

Script Writing Terminology for Types of shots:

Insert shot – a close-up of something in the scene

Cutaway – a related shot that is “away’ from the basic scene

Tracking shot – used to describe both dolly and truck movements

Moving shot – used to indicate the camera moving in some way during a scene

Long shot (LS) – a shot from the top of someone’s head to at least their feet

Full shot (FS) – (see long shot)

Medium shot (MS) – a shot from the waist up

Medium close-up (MCU) – a shot cropped between the shoulders and the belt line

Close-up (CU) – Used to catch facial expressions and following conversations

Extreme close-up (XCU) – used for dramatic impact and to show the eyes

Boom shot – high angle shot, usually with the camera moving

Jib shot – high angle shot, usually with the camera moving

Crane shot – high angle shot, usually with the camera moving

Establishing shot – A wide shot (WS) or long shot (LS) that gives the audience a basic orientation and geography of the scene (who is where), then switch to cuts of closer shots

Reestablishing shot – used as a reminder or updates the audience on scene changes

Master shot – similar to an establishing shot, but this term is generally reserved for the special needs of film. Once master shot action is filmed the scene is generally shot over again from different camera positions so that there are shots (especially close-ups) of each actor. Dialogue, and actor reactions and movements are repeated each time the camera is repositioned.

Coverage – the additional shots of a scene used to compliment the master shot.  It includes close-ups and so on

(a) Take – segments repeated with variations

Note: With film just one camera is generally used. However, since the camera is stopped and repositioned between takes, when the scenes are cut together during editing, it appears that there is a continuous flow of action and several cameras were used.

Actors must repeat everything over again in exactly the same way for each take in the coverage. This means they must use the same energy level with the same actions at the exact points in their dialogue. This is essential in being able to later unobtrusively cut together the various takes during editing to create a smooth, unbroken flow of action.

In the case of TV production several cameras are often used and the “editing” takes place in the control room as the scenes are shot. Although this approach obviously saves considerable time, it doesn’t allow for the “fine tuning” of each shot and take.

Canted shot, Dutch angle – a shot tilted 25 to 45 degrees to one side causing horizontal lines to be at an angle, similar to an isometric view

Two-shot (2S) – designate shots with two people

Three-shot (3S) – designate shots with three people

Subjective shot – a first-person shot, the camera will see what the character sees, good for chase scenes

Over the shoulder shot (OS) – A shot that shows the back of the head and maybe some shoulder

Other Script Writing Terminology:

Dolly – when the camera is moved towards or away from the subject

Truck – when the camera is moved laterally to the subject

Zoom – an optical version of a dolly, has the same basic effect

EXT – Denotes an exterior shot

INT – denotes an interior shot

Voice Over (VO) – narration heard over the scene

Point of View (POV) – a shot that is seen from the characters perspective

Special Effects (SFX) – audio or visual effects that alter the reality of the scene, added in the post-production phase

Glossary of Screenwriting Terms

A

action description: the overt, physical actions that happen on screen, such as “He falls down the stairs” or “She pulls a gun, hands shaking.”
actor: a gifted individual who has studied the craft of acting in order to portray roles in performances of dramatic literaure.
alter-ego: a substitute “self” for a writer, usually a protagonist in the writer’s story.
ambience: the overall quality of mood, tone, or atmosphere in a film.
antagonist: a character that puts barriers and reversals in the way of a protagonist’s progress or objective.
archetype: a universal character modeled upon those that have been appearing in stories since the time of our ancient ancestors.
assistant director: a film crew member whose job it is to manage the set protocols and keep the film shoot on schedule.
atmosphere: the dominant mood or emotional tone of a film.
audience expectation: particular elements of a film genre which the audience consciously or unconsciously expects to see.
aural: a film element that can be heard (such as an off screen sound like a dog howling or a gun firing).

B

barrier: a first act obstacle in the way of a protagonist’s objective.
beat: a unit of action within a scene or act that marks subtle shifts in the direction or control of the plot action.
book-ending: a framing device within which a main plot line is presented as being told or read to another, often embellished by the use of a voice-over narration throughout the film (as in Raising Arizona, The Princess Bride or Stand By Me)
buddy film: a popular movie genre in which two protagonists (often confidantes) are in pursuit of the same objective (willingly or unwillingly) and sometimes trade off as catalysts to one another.

C

camera angle: the angle from which a shot is to be taken (e.g., a close-up angle is a shot that should be made from a close proximity to the subject, either through tighter lens focusing or by the camera being placed physically closer to the action).
camera move: an action description in a screenplay that stipulates a specific move of the camera (such as “CAMERA PANS a crowded supermarket at rush hour.”)
cast: the actors who portray the characters in a performance of dramatic literature.
catalyst (catalytic): a character, event, or circumstances which force a protagonist into a quest or achieving of an objective.
catharsis: the emotional effect upon an audience resulting from a re-living or re-experiencing of a remembered emotion.
causal prediction: an audience’s unconscious forecasting of what will happen in a standard plot based on certain known causes and effects (e.g., boy meets girl, boy loses girl, causal prediction=boy gets girl).
cause-and-effect: a linear sequence of events that logically progress from one to the other, with the prior action “causing” the latter to happen. (E.g., a person witnesses a murder, causing the effect of the murderer stalking the witness.)
central question: the question that arises in the audience’s mind as they are introduced to a protagonist within a set of given circumstances that propel the character into some kind of action (e.g., “Sill he/she find someone to love?, Will he/she survive the plane crash?” “Will he/she escape from the concentration camp?”)
character: a person, animal, or spiritual entity that figures importantly in the telling of a story.
character development: the gradual revelation of information about a character that the audience needs to know in order to understand the character’s motivations and intent.
character diatribe: Screenwriter Steve Tesich’s writing technique for imagining characters and conflicts in the early genesis of a screenplay.
character name: the name of the character speaking, appearing just above the dialogue line, in all caps and centered within the dialogue margins.
characterization: an actor’s interpretation of a role in a performance of dramatic literature.
cinematic language: a “language” of images (visual and aural) that tell story without the use of words.
climax: the point of highest intensity, catharsis, and suspense just before a resolution.
commedia del arte: popular comedies performed in the streets of Italy during the 16th-18th centuries, using stock characters or archetypes in universal story lines and structures.
compelling movement: plot action imbued with the kind of forceful energy that pushes the plot forward, forcing the story line to move toward a climax and resolution.
complication: an action point that is introduced early in the film with no obvious effect or importance until later, when it becomes the unexpected source of difficulties or solutions to the protagonist’s objective.
composite: a character that is based upon more than one person or personality in a writer’s life or imagination.
confidante:a character who shares secrets, personal information, or discussions of intimate or internal conflicts with another.
conflict: opposition, controversy, struggle, contradiction, or antipathy between a character and him/herself, his/her situation, another character, society, or spiritual belief.
contrast: the emphasized difference between story elements pointed up by a juxtaposition of those elements to one another.
crew: the staff members of a film production
cross-genre: two genres combined to create a more rich and complex movie (e.g., Witness is a cross genre of an “action thriller” and a “tragic love story”)
cut: the transitional movement on screen from once scene or shot to the next.
cutaway: a quick transition to another secondary shot (often of some lesser or ironic element of the setting) and back to the main shot. (E.g., a brief shot of a dog listening to a human conversation that is the subject of the scene).

D

denouement: the final resolution to an intricate plot.
designer: an artist who designs some element of the look or sound of a film (such as set design, light design, costume design, sound design, etc.)
development: a) the gradual growth of a screenplay from germinal idea to fleshed out plot to final script; b) the breakdown, budgeting, and capitalization stage of bringing a screenplay into production (re-writes are often involved in the development stage.)
dialogue: the façade of heard language that reveals the subtextual struggles going on between characters.
dimensionality: richness of atmosphere or texture added to a film by means of smaller elements such as supporting characters, background actions or dialogue, or small details of design.
director: the main orchestrator of the various creative activities that go into film production, the director collaborates with and guides designers, editors, cinematographers, technicians, and actors in their interpretation of the script within a single organic vision.
distributor: the entity or company who distributes a completed film to exhibitors
dramatic action: the subtextual undercurrents and reciprocal actions that occur beneath the dialogue and physical actions of a screenplay.

E

editor: the technician who “cuts” and assembles a movie from raw footage shot during principal photography, cutting it into a completed film with an eye to pacing, rhythm, suspense and cinematic image storytelling.
elements: the smaller parts of a movie that must be written and noted during the breakdown and budgeting process (e.g., cast, set pieces, vehicles, music, etc.).
environmental facts: the geographical location, time of year, season, day, period of history, and economic, political, social, moral, or religious environment of the special world of the screenplay.
estimator: an accountant or production manager who estimates the cost of making a movie from a screenplay.
exposition: the revelation of previous action to a story (or earlier action in a script) that must be imbued with present dramatic action and an intimation of a future development.

F

filmmaking: the act of recording a performance on film
flashback: a transition from a scene to one that has taken place prior to it.
foreshadowing: a metaphoric or symbolic indication of something to come.
format: the specific layout, typeface, point size, and punctuation required by the film industry for professional screenplays.

G

genre: a type of film for which audience have a set of particular expectations in regard to plot, style, tone, outcome, and theme.
given circumstances: the environmental facts, previous action, and polar attitudes of a dramatic story.

I

intent: the subtextual objective of a character

J

jeopardy: a condition of possible physical or emotional danger or suffering of a character or characters that raises the stakes of a plot.

L

legend: written information superimposed on an image or blank screen (e.g., “Long ago, in a galaxy far away…”
linear structure: a plot structure that runs in a chronological or logical cause-and-effect sequence.
location manager: a film crew worker who scouts, contracts, and manages the location sets (as opposed to studio sets) for film productions. Locations are usually real places used as found sets with a minimum of set dressing or construction.
log line: an extremely short description of the plot, characters, theme, and genre of a screenplay used to pitch or synopsize scripts during the development stage.

M

marketing director: the project manager in charge of determining how best to promote and distribute a movie to the public.
mentor character: a character that helps a protagonist in achieving his or her objective; often, they serve as catalysts and may also articulate the theme of the story.
mid point scene: a plot point that seems to divide the second act of a story in half, usually serving to emphasize or articulate the larger theme or message of the story.
montage: a sequence of images or short scenes that reveal story points or important exposition in an encapsulated manner.
motif: a recurring image, sound, line, action or other element that makes a symbolic, allegorical, metaphoric or thematic point in a movie.
motivation: a) the situation, reasoning, or driving compulsion behind a character’s intent; b) the character background or situational factors that actors analyze to “motivate” their performance of a role.
movie: a dramatic performance that is recorded as a moving image, whether on film or videotape.
myth: a story that has been told and re-told for centuries and which seems rooted in universal human experiences that people want to re-experience in new forms again and again (your textbook describes myths as stories that are “more than true”).
mythic element: a story element that seems taken from myth (such as the comeuppance of a bad character in a classic cautionary tale or the theme of sacrifice in tragic love stories).

O

objective: the goal or desire of a protagonist(s).
obstacle: a barrier or reversal that presents a challenge to a protagonist’s achievement of an objective.
omniscient (omniscience): storytelling that is told from an all-knowing, all-seeing point of view.
one-line description: a very brief one-sentence description of what happens in a scene.
organic structure: a writing structure in which all of story elements relate to one another and to the whole in a complete and unified manner so as to make overall emotional or thematic sense to the reader or audience.
out of continuity: out of chronological or linear order (used to describe the way in which movie scenes are shot during principal photography).
outcome: the resolution of a story in terms of the protagonist’s objective.

P

pace: the intensity, rhythm or speed (or lack thereof) of a story’s plot action.
page count: the number of eighths of a page of script content that takes place in one setting, used to calculate the amount of time it will take to shoot a script.
parenthetical: one or two words that qualify the tone of a dialogue line when it is not clear from the subtext or context of the line how it should be played; a parenthetical is placed in parentheses just above the dialogue line and indented.
period: an historical time and place that serves as the setting or “special world” of a screenplay story.
pitch: a brief verbal description of a screenplay idea or script (often based on a written logline) usually told by a writer, director, or producer to someone who is interested in buying, financing, or developing a story idea or script.
play: dramatic literature that is performed live as if happening in the present moment, in front of a live audience.
plot action: the physical actions and story points that propel a story through to a climax and resolution.
plot pay-off: the consequence or outcome of a plot point or story element that is set-up earlier in a screenplay.
plot point (or action point): a significant or overt action or moment within a plot that creates obstacles, raises the stakes, articulates theme, or complicates things for a protagonist trying to reach an objective.
point of view (POV): the position from which an image is supposed to be seen, requiring the placing of the camera in that relationship (e.g., “Benjamin’s POV through the swim goggles as he walks toward the pool” would require the camera operator to shoot through swim goggles as the camera is dollied [pushed on a camera dolly] toward a pool.)
polar attitude: a character’s emotional attitude or approach to other characters, to his/her situation, to society, or to him or her self.
post production: the phase of production that follows principal photography, in which raw footage is cut and assembled into a finished movie with added soundtrack and visual effects.
present action: action that takes place in the present moment as opposed to backstory.
previous action (backstory): action that has taken place prior to the opening of the movie, which the audience must know in order to understand the storyline and motivations of the character.
principal photography: the phase of production in which all of the moving images are photographed and recorded according to the instructions of the screenplay in preparation for later editorial cutting and assembly.
production manager: the main supervisor of the crew in charge of keeping a film project on time and on budget; the PM negotiates all financial and contractual affairs for the project during pre-production, principal photography, and sometimes post production.
protagonist: the main character whom the audience identifies with or cares about in a story.

Q

quality: the tone or characteristic nature of a story element

R

reciprocal action: dramatic action that entails a subtextual struggle for control or mastery between two or more characters in a scene.
red herring: a false lead, assumed outcome or obvious solution that a writer plants in a story to fool the audience from guessing the real outcome.
relationship web: the complex network of relationships emanating from the protagonist(s) and relating him/her to the significant or supporting characters within a story.
resolution: the outcome of a screenplay in terms of its plot set-up and development.
reversal: a serious second act obstacle to a protagonist’s objective
rhythm: the quality of the pacing and speed of a script’s plot action and scene sequences.

S

scene: continuous action with or without dialogue that takes place in one setting
scene heading (or slug line): basic set description at the top of a script scene, written in all caps, providing information as to whether the scene is interior vs. exterior, day or night, and where it takes place (e.g., INT. THE BADDA BING CLUB – DAY)
screenplay: a form of dramatic literature used as an instruction manual for the production of a movie.
script breakdown: a) an analysis of a screenplay in which all of the production elements are reduced to lists in order to schedule and budget the production; b) a director’s creative analysis of the dramatic action, reciprocal struggle, theme, and design elements of a screenplay.
set: wherever camera is in place for a shot that is being set up for shooting (or being shot) at a location or studio.
setting: the place in which a scene happens (not to be confused with location or set)
set-up: the premise or given circumstances laid out at the beginning of a story, just before the catalyst propels the story into its development and resolution.
shooting schedule: a principal photography production schedule created by a production manager and assistant director to organize the shooting of scenes out-of-continuity in the most economical and time-saving way possible.
simultaneity: the quality of having two or more things happening at once
slug line (or scene heading): basic set description at the top of a script scene, written in all caps, providing information as to whether the scene is interior vs. exterior, day or night, and where it takes place (e.g., EXT. THE SOPRANO DINING ROOM – NIGHT)
step outline: a plot outline used by writers to help organize and visualize their story before writing it; a step outline consists of scene headings followed by brief one-line descriptions in sequential order.
stock character: an archetypal character that shows up again and again in story throughout the ages, fulfilling a universal purpose (such as a mentor character or comic foil to the protagonist)
storytelling: human communication that springs from a fundamental desire in people to tell each other what happened through the most expressive and immediate means possible; in dramatic storytelling, the recreation of events and people are portrayed through present action visual and oral performance.
subplot: a secondary plot line that enhances a main plot and intersects with it at a crucial point in the climax.
subtext: the undercurrent of emotions and polar attitude shifts that lie beneath physical action and between the lines of dialogue.
subtextual struggle: the reciprocal action of a scene’s dramatic subtext, in which two or more characters struggle for mastery or control of the moment.
supporting character: a subplot character or minor character who helps to raise the stakes for the main protagonist, or who reflects the same problems or issues of the protagonist, while providing texture or dimensionality to the setting.
suspense: a state of excitement or apprehension created by the pacing and sequencing of scenes, through the raising of a protagonist’s emotional or physical stakes, or through the creation of jeopardy situations for a protagonist.

T

technician: a crew person who performs some kind of technical (as opposed to design) function (such as grips, gaffers, sound mixers, boom operators, script supervisors, etc.)
teleplay: a form of dramatic literature used as an instruction manual for the production of television shows.
texture: a characteristic visual or tactile quality produced by certain kinds of images (such as a story that has many scenes that take place in the rain or which incorporates images drenched in rain to produce a cold and “damp” feeling in the viewer).
thematic thread: a metaphoric element, literary or cinematic device used within a film to weave an underlying message or theme throughout the story.
theme: an underlying philosophical, social or spiritual message that gives the plot meaning and elevates the story to its essential, universal human ideas.
three act structure: the beginning, middle, and end of a story, played out in linear sequence.
title sequence: a scene or sequence of scenes over which the title roll of the movie credits are superimposed (usually at or near the beginning of the movie).
tone: the attitude toward a subject or story that is being expressed by the writer or director of a screenplay or film (such as cynicism, hope, anger, optimism, sadness, or wonder). The resolution of a story may inform the tone of the piece in the long run, even when a different tone may have been set earlier on.
transformational arc: the parabolic shift in polar attitudes of a character from a point A to a point B during the course of a story.
transition: a direction in a screenplay that informs the filmmakers as to the quality of the cut from one scene to the next (such as “DISSOLVE TO:”); it appears flush right between the end of one scene and the beginning of the next.
turning point: an action point that is a reaction to an obstacle in the way of a protagonist’s objective; turning points raise the stakes, move the action in a different direction or to a different playing area, and force the protagonist to take a new or different tack.

U

unit: a beat of reciprocal action or a resolved bit of subtextual struggle within a scene.
unity: the way in which the components of a story relate to each other and to the story as a whole so that it makes overall emotional or thematic sense.
universality: a quality that transcends the subjective experience of the individual to find the universal reality of human experience.

V

videography: the recording of a performance by means of video camera and videotape.
visual: having to do with that which can be seen (vs. heard)
visual effect: a special visual technique used to enhance storytelling (such as computer animation, slow motion, or time-lapse photography).
voiceover narration: a narration heard over the images of a scene.